What can I use instead of cream cheese and heavy cream? In the original recipe, I have to whip the heavy cream until stiff. It's a no-bake recipe. Also, would the substitue work in a recipe that you bake?

Accepted Answer

It's not possible to whip a vegan ingredient to stiffness in the same way you can with dairy products like cream cheese and cream. This is because dairy has casein proteins that unwind then bind together to create a subtle increases in stiffness. Vegan bakers frequently get around this issue by using a starch such as tapioca or arrowroot flour and/or a gum such as agar to approximate this stiffness. The mixture will then stiffen during baking.

In a no-bake application you may be able to use grind cashews into a puree the strain it. I can probably be more specific if you are able to share the recipe or the type of food here. Good luck!